In Tajikistan, an entrepreneur has been sentenced for collaborating with “Isloh TV”

The court of the Khatlon region sentenced the head of the farming enterprise “Shukrullo” to five years in prison on charges of “extremism.”

According to the General Prosecutor’s Office of Tajikistan, the Khatlon regional court ruled that 59-year-old resident of the Dusti district and head of the dehkan (farming) enterprise “Shukrullo” Bobomurodov Makhmudjon Mirzonazarovich allegedly “regularly watched programs on ‘Isloh.tv’ on social media using his mobile phone, considered the videos and speeches of its host Muhammadikbol Sadriddin acceptable, and contacted him.”

“In July 2023, Bobomurodov prepared material on the topic of ‘The lack of irrigation water and the activities of the heads of executive bodies of state power in the Dusti district and local self-government of the village and settlements’ and sent it for publication to the host of the program ‘Isloh.TV’ Muhammadikbol Sadriddin,” the statement from the General Prosecutor’s Office of Tajikistan noted.

This material was published on the website and channel of “Isloh TV” under the title “Letters from the Districts to ‘Isloh TV’ No. 42.”

The General Prosecutor’s Office of Tajikistan described this material as “the collection and dissemination of provocative extremist information corresponding to the criminal objectives of the terrorist-extremist organizations ‘Islamic Renaissance Party’ and ‘National Alliance.’”

The material, which gained 82,000 views on YouTube and 307,000 views on the Isloh.net website, and was reposted about 200 times, discusses the problems of the lack of irrigation water in the Dusti district and the involvement of local authorities in corruption.

It was reported that on October 16, 2023, the Dusti district prosecutor’s office initiated a criminal case against Bobomurodov under part 3 of item 3, article 307 (participation in the activities and assistance to extremist organizations using mass media and the internet) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Tajikistan.

On November 24, the prosecutor’s office completed the investigation and sent the case to the Khatlon regional court.

On December 19, by the decision of the Khatlon regional court, Bobomurodov was sentenced to 5 years in a high-security colony.

Bobomurodov himself or his relatives are unavailable for comment.

However, the editor-in-chief and head of the “Isloh.net” portal Muhammadikbol Sadriddin, in a conversation with Azda TV, denied the information that these individuals collaborated with him.

“We do not know Bobomurodov Makhmudjon at all, and the source who sent us this information is at large. The law enforcement agencies of the country imprisoned this person on fabricated charges,” said Muhammadikbol Sadriddin.

This is not the first case where Tajik law enforcement agencies detain residents of the country on charges of “collaboration with banned organizations.”

It was previously reported that on October 19, 2023, the Prosecutor’s Office of the Firdavsi District of Dushanbe initiated a criminal case against citizen Jumayeva M.K. on charges of collaborating with the portal “Isloh.net” and supporting the ideas of the “National Alliance”.

Additionally, on June 12 of this year, the court of the Sughd region sentenced a 42-year-old resident of Isfara to 18 years in prison for collaborating with the portal “Isloh.net”.

In May 2023, the court of Isfara in the Sughd region sentenced 70-year-old resident Kamolidin Sharofov to 5 years in prison on charges of extremism. It was reported that the elderly man threatened to complain to Radio Ozodi and the portal “Isloh TV” about the illegal actions of military enlistment office employees.

In December 2022, the court of the Khatlon region sentenced the head of the education department of the Panj district, Mavluda Boymurodzoda, former employee of the land management enterprise Mamed Sheraliyev, as well as operator and correspondent of the state television channel “Jahonname” Abdurakhmon Izzatmandov and Jalol Zoidov to several years in prison on charges of collaborating with the portal “Isloh.net”.

However, the editor-in-chief and head of the portal “Isloh.net,” Muhammadikboli Sadriddin, told Azda TV that he has never collaborated with these people, that these people have never contacted him, and have never sent any information.

“This is yet another fabricated accusation by the authorities against ordinary citizens of the country. The authorities are punishing some innocent citizens once again to intimidate the residents,” said Muhammadikboli Sadriddin at that time.

The portal “Isloh.net” constantly publishes exposés on existing problems in the country and the unlawful actions of Tajik officials and law enforcement officers.

The activities of the portal “Isloh.net” and the YouTube channel “Isloh TV” are banned in Tajikistan. In recent years, law enforcement agencies have detained and imprisoned dozens of people on charges of collaborating with the “banned site”.